


Don't Go Out in the Woods Today

by LikeALiar



Series: The Woods Have Eyes [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Implied Child Abuse, M/M, Multi, its vague i promise, the Fair Folk, this is gonna be the shortest one probably because it's just to start to set things up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 06:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20253298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LikeALiar/pseuds/LikeALiar
Summary: The Aunts have finally allowed Virgil to leave the house. It does not go well.





	Don't Go Out in the Woods Today

# ((12))

Virgil was raised on rules. Important ones, his aunt would say. Life-changing, his other aunt would add. _Unbreakable, _he would think.

The rules were as follows:

  1. Never go into the woods without one of the Aunts.
  2. Never stay out later than sundown.
  3. Never leave the house before sunrise.
  4. Never talk to a stranger unless absolutely necessary.
  5. Never accept a gift.
  6. Never tell anyone your name unless you would trust them with your life.

And most importantly:

  1. Always listen to what the Aunts tell you.

The Good Neighbors can be cruel, his aunt would remind him. And tricky, the other would chime in. Don’t ever be alone with them, they would say together.

_ Then why am I with you?_ He would think. But then he would remember: rule number seven.

Every single one of those rules flashed through Virgil’s mind as he found himself separated from his Aunts, in the woods, at 9:43 at night, staring at one of the Fair Folk themselves. _Rules number one and two._

“Well, you’re new.” Virgil wanted to run but his body felt frozen. The Fae sounded like someone had captured sunlight in jar and distilled it into the sweetest alcohol before it dripped from his mouth into Virgil’s ears. A Seelie, then. If he was going to run into any fae a Seelie would be preferred. They were less cruel to humans in general, more of a kind of trickster than anything. Virgil hoped at least. He was struggling to remember the details of his lessons at this exact moment.

The Fae was looking at him. Virgil didn’t know if this counted as absolutely necessary. Would responding break rule number four? The Aunts had never specified what qualified as necessary. He didn’t know what he was more scared of, breaking one of his Aunts rules or the Fae that was steadily creeping closer.

The glowing blue eyes scared him more, he decided._ The Aunts wont mind if I say something if it means I don’t die._

Virgil opened his mouth, intending to speak, but any words he might’ve come up with become stuck in his throat. A throaty wheeze was all that managed to push itself out. _I’m going to die because of my anxiety, aren’t I?_

The Fae’s face scrunched in what seemed like concern. “Are you scared?” He moved closer. “Oh, you’re human. I think.” Virgil couldn’t feel his legs. “I guess that makes sense. I mean you’re alone in the woods and just came across a stranger. It’d probably be more concerning if you weren’t scared. Especially because you’re just a kid, I think. It’s so hard for me to tell sometimes.” The Fae began to circle Virgil. “Little silly to be out so late though. Especially this close to a Revel. Don’t your parents know better than to go wandering in Thornwood?” He paused, “You may call me Pat. Can I have your name?”

_ Rule number six._

Virgil was struggling to keep up with how quickly the Fae, or Pat, spoke, but a quick glance up confirmed that the moon was only a few days away being full. The Aunts had said that there was a flower that they could only find around this time in the lunar cycle and had dragged Virgil along to find it, saying that he was old enough now to start helping with these kinds of things. He had been right behind them before a noise distracted him and he glanced away, but that second was long enough for his caretakers to disappear into the woods. _Rule number seven, he was supposed to stay with them. _This was the first time that he’d been allowed beyond the garden wall, so Virgil had had no idea how to navigate the woods surrounding the house. After only a few minutes of walking in the direction he thought his Aunts had gone, he had stumbled into the clearing where a Fae had been crouched over a bed of flowers.

“Yeah, I didn’t figure that one would work, not with how you seem to have gone mute on me.” The Fae stopped right in front of him and bent down so their noses nearly touched and reached a hand up to touch Virgil’s hair. “I’ve never seen a human with eyes like yours. Oh, Ro would just love you. Maybe I should just take you with me? Lo doesn’t much like kids but I’m sure we could win him over. Besides you’re all alone out here.” Pat seemed to have an internal debate before he deflated. “No, I guess not. Do you want me to show you the way home?” He grinned. “I don’t know how you managed to get so far away from the town but-“

“Clover!” a shout from Aunt cut him off. She sounded like she was close by.

The easy grin was replaced by a scowl as Pat looked over Virgil’s shoulder. His eyes slowly drifted back to meet Virgil’s. “You’re not from the town, are you?”

“Town?” Virgil choked out. _There’s a town? With other people?_

“Clover?” That was the other one this time. They sounded like they were just outside the clearing.

Pat’s angry scowl softened slightly. “Strange,” he muttered.

Virgil blinked and he was gone.

“Clover! How did you get so far away from us?” Aunt Flora spun him around by the shoulder.

“I thought we told you to stay right behind us,” Aunt Fleur ran a hand through his hair.

“We’ve been looking for you for twenty minutes!”

_ Twenty minutes? But I’ve only been here for…_

“Nearly sent us into a panic wandering off like that.”

“Irresponsible is what it is!” Aunt Flora huffed.

“I- there was- I thought there was,” Virgil slumped. “’M’ sorry.”

“Perhaps he wasn’t ready to leave yet.”

“Maybe next year.” His Aunts agreed.

“Wait! I’ll be better next time I promise! Please!”

“This isn’t a discussion, Clover.” _Rule number seven._ “Come, back to the house.”

Aunt Flora and Fleur gripped each of his shoulders and marched him out of the clearing. At the edge Virgil turned his head and, in the center, surrounded by moonbeams, Pat was looming, focused on his Aunts.

“Don’t worry about tonight, dear. No need to even remember,” one of them spoke.

Before Virgil could even question his Aunt on what she meant, a hand ran through his hair and his mind went blank.

**Author's Note:**

> This will update hopefully once a week.  
You can find me on tumblr @strawberry-sanders!  
I made art! -> https://strawberry-sanders.tumblr.com/post/187089644487/a-still-from-the-first-part-of-my-fanfic-which-you


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